In general, a refrigerator is partitioned off into a freezing chamber and a refrigerating chamber. While the refrigerating chamber freshly stores foods and vegetables at a temperature of about 3 to 4° C. for an extended period of time, the freezing chamber freezes and stores meats and fishes at a temperature below zero.
Normally, a top mount type refrigerator wherein a freezing chamber and a refrigerating chamber are defined in the up-down direction, and a freezing chamber door and a refrigerating chamber door are installed at the freezing chamber and the refrigerating chamber to be openable and closable has been widely used. With the large scale tendency of the refrigerator, a side by side type refrigerator wherein a freezing chamber and a refrigerating chamber are defined at both sides, and a freezing chamber door and a refrigerating chamber door pivot around both side ends to be openable and closable has been developed.
In the side by side type refrigerator, the freezing chamber or the refrigerating chamber in which the cool air can be circulated has a large capacity. When the freezing chamber door or the refrigerating chamber door is opened and closed, a cool air loss increases and efficiency decreases. Accordingly, a dispensing hole is formed on the side of the freezing chamber door so that a user can acquire ice from the outside, and a home bar is formed on the side of the refrigerating chamber door to be openable and closable so that the user can take out water or drink from the refrigerating chamber.
FIGS. 1 and 2 are views illustrating one example of a conventional refrigerator with an ice dispensing device.
The conventional refrigerator will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. A freezing chamber and a refrigerating chamber are defined at both sides of the refrigerator. Doors 1 are installed to open and close the freezing chamber and the refrigerating chamber, respectively. An ice dispensing device 10 is provided to dispense ice to the door side 1.
A control panel 2 is installed at the door 1 so that a user can select a predetermined function of the refrigerator. A control unit (not shown) is built in the refrigerator, for controlling the predetermined function of the refrigerator according to the input of the control panel 2.
In detail, the ice dispensing device 10 includes an ice maker 11 for making ice, an ice bank 12 for accommodating the ice made in the ice maker 11, an ice chute 13 for discharging the ice of the ice bank 12 to the outside, and a dispenser unit 14. A water supply passage (not shown) for supplying water to the ice maker 11 is provided in a built-in type.
While the ice maker 11 and the ice bank 12 are provided in the freezing chamber, the ice chute 13 and the dispenser unit 14 are provided at the door 1. In a state where the door 1 closes the freezing chamber, the ice bank 12 communicates with the ice chute 13.
Moreover, a button (not shown) with an ice dispensing function is formed at the control panel 2. A separate transfer means (not shown) for transferring ice to the ice chute 13 is provided at the ice bank 12. The control unit controls the operations of the ice maker 11 and the transfer means according to a signal inputted through the control panel 2.
Generally, an ice dispensing amount is adjusted according to a button clicking time, or a set amount of ice is dispensed by button clicking.
Accordingly, when the user clicks the button with the ice dispensing function, the control unit controls the operations of the ice maker 11 and the transfer means according to the signal inputted from the button. The ice stored in the ice bank 13 is guided by the transfer means, and dispensed through the ice chute 13 and the dispenser unit 14.
FIG. 3 is a view illustrating one example of an ice maker provided in a conventional refrigerator. The conventional ice maker 11 includes an ice making container 10 supplied with water to make ice, an ejector 20 rotated to separate the ice from the ice making container 10, and a lever 11d for sensing an amount of the ice made in the ice making container 10, separated by the ejector 20, and stored in an ice storage container 30 provided at one side of the ice making container 10, and controlling the operation of the ice maker 11.
In the conventional refrigerator, an ice tray has been used to make ice. However, when making ice, a user must manually fill water in the ice tray and separate ice therefrom. In order to alleviate such inconvenience, a refrigerator with an ice maker for automatically making and transferring ice has been suggested. Examples of the ice maker and the refrigerator having the same have been disclosed in Korean Laid-Open Patent Publication Nos. 2004-0053700 and 2004-0102568.
However, in the conventional refrigerator, even if the ice storage container is full of ice, the lever does not sense the ice full state and stop ice making. That is, it is impossible to make and store ice as much as the user wants. As a result, electric energy is wasted to make too much ice. As the ice is stored for a long time, the user cannot take out fresh ice.
In addition, in the conventional refrigerator, the user cannot confirm the ice stored in the ice storage container from the outside of the refrigerator. Every time the user wants to confirm the ice, he/she must open the refrigerator.
Furthermore, in the conventional refrigerator, when the user clicks the button with the ice dispensing function to take out ice, a predetermined amount of ice is dispensed according to a button clicking time or a button clicking number. The user cannot take out a precise amount of ice. Therefore, the ice is often excessively dispensed and wasted, which leads to large energy consumption.